A study published in the Elementary School Journal finds that the main reason new teachers leave the profession is not the insane workload or the lack of resources but their principals.
Researchers from Michigan State University, in East Lansing, and Wayne State University, in Detroit, surveyed 184 beginning teachers in Michigan and Indiana on factors that might influence them to leave or stay in the profession. Topping the list, the researchers found, was how well a school’s principal works with the staff.
It was a stronger predictor of teachers’ intent to remain in the profession than factors related to workload, administrative duties, resource availability, or opportunities for professional development.
